Electric pressure-furnace.



N0.- a1`4,727. I PATENTED MAR.13,1906.

, E. N. POTTER. ELECTRIC PRESSURE FURNAGE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1903.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

` HENRY NoELroTrER, oF NEW ROCHELLE. NEW YORK; ASSIGNoR To GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, E PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

. ELECTRIC PRESSURE-FURNAQE.

Patented March 13, 1908.

To a/l whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY NOEL POTTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Rochelle in the count of Westchester and State of New York, ave invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Electric Pressure-Furnaces, o which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved electric tube-furnace adapted to be used in ca'rrying out recesses in which gases or vapors, for examp e, are passed through the furnace under pressure and are subjected to intense heat during the passage.

The special features of my improved furnace are illustrated in the .accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section throu h the axis of the furnace, and Fig. 2 is a detal view showing a modification of some of the clampi parts. mln the drawin 1 is the furnace-tube,

which is held between carbon terminals 2 and l 3. `The ends of the tube 1' are in the resent intheir inner surfaces by refractory plates 9 9 of stance shown as conical in form an as fitting into conesha ed recesses in the terminals 2 and 3. This orm of terminal contac-t for the tube has been found to be satisfactory' in practice, although it is evident that an other suitable con'tact arrangement might li stituted therefor. `The carbon terminals 2 and 3 are res ectivel clamped between metallic termina s 4 an 6 at one end and 5 and 7 at the other by means of a number of bolts 8 8. The plates 6 and 7 may be protected on asbestos or other suitable material.l The plates 9 9 are preferably of some yielding material which is adapted to relieve the tendenc ofl the insulating 4material 10 to pack un er the influence of the furnace heat. Next to these refractory plates is the packing 10 of the furnace, which packi may be in powdered'form or may be presse into shape with a binder and packed so as to facilitate its insertion into the furnace in one or more reces. p The outside wall of the furnace is made in two tubularv parts 11 11, each rovided with flanges 12 12 at both ends. he two tubes are `separated b aninsulating-gasket 13- say of hard rub er-and are pressed firmly against this gasket by a number of bolts 14 1-4, withinterposed insulating-bushings 15 15.

Application lod July 23, 1903. i Serial No. 166,668.

e subthe central furnace-tube 1. y

The oo`urse of thecurrent through the fur-A nace is by way of the conductor 19, the lug or The bolts 14 14 pass through the said bush-` ings and also throu h the flanges 12 12 o n the inner ends of the tu gasket 13. To,the flan es at the outer ends es 1 1 1 1 and through the of the tubesl 1 11 are bo ted end plates which'- close theend of the furnace and in which inlet and outlet tubes, peep-holes, and other necessary parts or appliances are aplpropriately inserted. One of these end p ates is shown at 16 and the other at 17. Each of the tubes 11 11 isprovided with one or more lugs, flanges, or equivalent devices, such as 18,\to which can be bolted conducting-pieces,

such as 19 19', for making connectlon with an electric circuit.

In order to secure contact between the carbon terminals 2 and -3 and the tubes'll 11, the inside of the tubes is finished with a -smooth cylindrical surface, and a copper strap 20 bears u on the inside surface of each tube and exten s to one or the other of the carbon terminals 2 and 3, against which it is firmly clam ed. Take, for example, they connec tion etween the terminal2 and the left-hand l tube 1'1. Here the co per strap 20 is firmly clamped b means of t e bolts 8 8 throughout its centraly portion between the terminal 2 and the metallic plate or ring 6, while its circumferential portion is slotted and bent over so as to bear against the inner surface of they tube 11. l The circumferential portion of the strap thus constitutes a practically cylindrical surface of about the same diameteras the bore of the tube 1-1. Its rim portion is forced outward into firm contact with the tube by the expansion of a split ring 21 through the act of forcing into it a continuous ri 22 by means of a number of bolts 23 23. A similar construction is employed at theopp'osite end of the furnace. By the means'thus described good electrical connection is made between the furnace ends and the carbon lterminals 2 and 3,'which bear upon `the ends lGand 7 of flange 18, one of the furnaceftubes 11, one of the stra s 20, the carbon terminal 2, the fur roo' nace-tu e 1, and outjthrough a similar sysf tem in reverse order.

The two ends of the furnace need not be they length o the tube 1.

The insulating-gasket 13 need not be placed midway between the ends of the furnace. It maybe shifted to one side or the other, or there may be two gaskets separated by a 5 third tube similar to the tubes 11.

construction is desirable when for any reason a side opening into the furnace has to `be made for the insertion or withdrawal of packing or the like. It is convenient to put this ro side opening in the intermediate tube between the two gaskets.

It is not desirable to open the furnace repeatedly at the gasket 13 after it has been screwed up and found to be tight.

i5 Into the end plate 16 are screwed two pipes or tubes 24 and 25, each connecting with a reservoir. A tube 26 is screwed into the end plate 17to form an outlet-pipe at that end of the furnace. The pipe 24, for example, may

2o be connected with the reservoir containing one gas under pressure and the pipe 'with a reservoir containing a second gas under the same pressure. In this way a mixture of equal arts of the two gases may be formed 2 5 in the iiurnace, and if the pipe 26 be provided with a suitable throttle before passing tothe reservoir, the throttle being so arranged that gas can pass through the throttle under the imposed pressure at a pro er speed, there 3o will be a steady low of gas om the two reservoirs into the furnace-chamber through the furnace-tube 1, Where the reaction will take place, and thence out into the tube 26 and into the collecting-reservoir.

3 5 Fig. 2 shows a arger view of the clamping parts. p The strap 20 is here clamped in between the contact-terminals 3 and 5. In

this figure the rin 21 is a split ring, while the ring 22 is the so d ring. The ring 21 expands and presses the strap 19 firmly against the wall 11.

At 27 I show a spring-washer which is clamped under the nut on the outer ends of the rods 8 and 23.- As the nut on the end of rod 23 is drawn up this spring 27 is slightly bent, bringin an axial pressure upon the terminal 5, whicIi is thence transmitted through the terminal 3 to the contacts. This spring 27 may be made elastic enough to take care 5o of the slight expansion of the various parts relative to one another.

Manifestly this furnace might readily be adapted to serve the purposes of a vacuumfurnace as well as those of a pressure-furnace. I claim as my invention- 1. In an electric furnace, an inner conducting-tube, an outer conducting-tube surrounding'the same, and electrical connections between the ends of the inner tube and the ends of the outer tube, the latter being insulated from each other except through the inner tube.

2. In an electrlc furnace, an inner con- .Y ducting-tube, an outer conducting-tube sur- This latter rounding the same, insulating material interposed between the two tubes, the outer tube being made in two or more parts separated by insulating material, and terminal connections for an external circuit attached to the outer tube.

3. In an electric furnace, a conducting inclosing tube made in two or more parts, the successive parts being separated by one or more insulating-gaskets, in combination with terminal connections for an external circuit attached to the end sections of the tube.

4. In an electric furnace, an inner tube adapted to contain the material to be heated and an outer tube having end sections which form the terminals of the furnace.

5. In an electric furnace, an inner tube adapted to 'contain the material to be heated and an outer tube having end sections insulated from each other and formin the terminals of the furnace, the said en sectionsl being electrically connected with the ends of the inner tube. Y,

6. In an electric furnace, an inner conductin -tube adapted to contain the material to e heated and surrounded by refractory insulating material, an outer conducting-tube outsi e the inner tube and the insulating material, the said outer tube being made in sections, and the several sections being insulated from each other by ring-shaped gaskets.

7. In an electric furnace, an inner conducting-tube, an outer conducting-tube surrounding the same and composed of mutually insulated sections, and terminals for the inner tube, and a cu shaped strap connecting the walls of the en sectlons of the'out'er tube with the said end terminals forcthe inner tube.

8. In an electric furnace, a conducting inner tube, carbon end terminals therefor, metallic terminals co erating with the said carbon terminals, an means for compressing the respective carbon and metallic terminals at either end of the tube, all in combination with an outer conductin -tube forming part of the furnace-circuit an extendin at each end beyond the limits of the termina s for the inner tube.

9. In an electric furnace, an inner conductin -tube adapted to contain the material to e heated and terminals therefor, an outer conducting-tube surrounding the same, and having a chamber at each end.

IIO

10. In an electric furnace, an inner con- 12o ducting-tube, hollow terminals therefor, the 'f openings in the said terminals reisterlng with the openings at the ends of t e inner tube, in combination with an outer tube having a chamber at each end, inlet-tubes connecting 'with' one chamber, and an outlettube connecting with the other chamber, as and for the purpose set forth.

11. In an electric furnace, an inner tube, terminals therefor, in combination with an 13o outer tube, a cup-shaped connection between the walls of the outer tube and the said terminals, and means for securinga firm connection between the cup-shaped piece and the walls of the outer tube. v

12. In an electric furnace, -an inner tube adapted to contain the material to be heated, refractory insulating material surrounding the said tube, end terminals for the said tube, and an outer tube surrounding the parts named, in combination with a ring of asbestos or other yielding material separating the insulatin material from the terminalconnections o the inner tube, the asbestos or similai` material being adapted to relieve the tendency ofthe insulating material to pack under the influence of the furnace heat.

13. An electric pressure-furnace, consisting of a conducting-tube and end terminals therefor having a continuous opening throughout, in combination with chambers communicating with the ends of the said opening, and inlet and exhaust pipes communicating with the said chambers. 14. An electric pressure-furnace o en at both ends and having its open ends eac communicating with a c amber, in combination with inlet and outlet pipes communicatin with the res ective chambers, and termina connections `or the said furnace.

15. A terminal for an electric tube-furnace, consisting of a tube-sectionsurrounding the said furnace, an inner tube constituting the main operative portion of the furnace, and intermediate 'electrical vconnections between one end of the inner tube and the said tubesection. i

16. In an electric furnace, the combination with one end of the tube constituting the main operative portiomof the furnace,-'of a terminal consisting of an outer tube surrounding the said innertube, a carbon terminal in contact with one end ofthe inner tube, metallic plates on opposite sides of the said carbon terminal, a cup-shaped strap connecting the carbon terminal and the outer tube, means for pressing the rim of the cup-shaped piece a ainst the wall` ofthe outer tube, and means or ressin the bottom portion of the cu -shape piece etween the carbon terminal) and one or the other of the metallic plates adjacent to the said terminal.

17 An electric'resistance-furnace linclosed inv a gas-tight chamber, and means for modifying the pressure in the fiu'nace.

18. An electric resistance-furnace inclosed in a gas-tight chamber, the said resistance being in the orm of a tube. p t

19. An electric resistance-furnace inclosed in a gas-ti ht' chamber, and, surrounded by refractory eat-resisting material.

20. An electric resistance-furnace inclosed in a gas-tight chamber, one or more of the walls of the furnace constituting a furnaceterminal.

21. In an electrical furnace inclosed within a cylindrical containing-chamber, the combination with said chamber of one or more conducting furnace-terminals, adapted to slide axially within said chamber, and to lbe expanded into 'iirm mechanical and electrical connection therewith.

22. In an electric furnace, a terminal connection intermediate between a cylindrical furnace-housing and a heating resistance therein, 4said connection being adapted to contact firmly with both resistance and housing and yet permit slight axial displacement of said resistance. K

23. In an electric furnace a housing having a cylindrical inner surface, a terminal disk ada tedl to slide axially within said housing and e expanded into contact therewith at any point Within a range of axial movement.

24. In anlelectric furnace, a housing havl ing a cylindrical form and divided transversely to the axis into two electrically-insulated portions. Y

25. In an electric furnacea housing of cylindrical 4form and divided into two c lindrical sections, insulated electrically om each other and connectedon their outer surfacesto the opposite poles of a sup ly-circuit, and on their inner surfaces to t e opposite poles of the furnace-conductor. v

26. In an electricfurnace, a housin of cylindrical form, having'circuit-termina s connecting to` its convex surface or developments thereof and having at its ends removable plates, which together with .the housing completely incl'ose the furnace r l 1' Signed at NewYork, in the cou'f ty 0f New*l York and State of New York, this 15th day l 'of July, A. D. 1903.

HENRY NOEL POTTER;n

Witnesses: l

WM. H. CAPEL, THos. H. BROWN Jr 

